A Golem, 'Nazi Necromancer Dicks' and a Distinct Lack of Destiel Essay

Golems, crafted from clay and shaped on a model of human anatomy, are a mythical creature often created to protect the Jewish people from anti-Semitic threats and violence. The most well known tale of golem lore is that of The Golem of Prague, retold by Jirasek, however there have been many modern adaptation of the golem myth through film and television. Specifically a television adaptation of the tale in the eighth season of Supernatural will be under examination here. The modern Supernatural adaptation, understandably, deviates from the classical tale while still utilizing the basic structure of the myth. Similarly both depictions of the golem represent the creature as a protector of the Jewish peoples that is controlled by the word of a rabbi. However the two depictions also have many differences, most of which can be attributed to the way in which the storylines are carried out and the time in which they are produced.
In Jirasek’s tale the golem is “shaped out of clay and brought to life by a wooden plug,” it is said to have been as powerful as two servants and required no sustenance or rest. These aspects of the golem hold true in the Supernatural depiction, showing a man-like creature that easily overpowers Sam and Dean, paying little attention to wounds that he receives from mortal instruments, he merely loses small amounts of the clay from which he was formed. Specifically Aaron’s golem is said to “have been shaped from clay and brought to life by rabbis to protect the Jewish people during times of general crapiness.” The golem, created by Rabbi Loew in Jirasek’s tale, acted as a protector against religious persecution and a suspected Jewish blood libel during the reign of Rudolph II. Aaron’s golem in “Everybody Hate...

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...natural retells the golem story nicely, updating it for a modern generation and varying it to better fit the recorded medium. They keep the most important aspect of the golem, his protection of the Jewish people, and make the creature a protector of the ghettos during WWII, which is a seemingly feasible placement for the golem myth. The cast of Supernatural did their best to keep the episode in line with the rest of the show, throwing humor and wit in as needed, creating a very one-of-a-kind golem who is both classical and special.

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